Jonathan Baker

Survival and accumulation strategies at the rural-urban interface in north-west Tanzania

This paper presents empirical material collected in the small town of Biharamulo (population 20,000) and four surrounding villages in 1993. The study area is located in the Kagera Region of north-west Tanzania. The paper attempts to demonstrate how rural areas and small urban centres are economically interdependent. Biharamulo is a district headquarter town and fulfils, inter alia, important administrative, marketing, service and retailing functions. The paper discusses how the four villages interact with the town and illustrates how village households adopt a combination of survival and accumulation strategies including the use of rural and urban resources. The most successful village households appear to be those which use urban opportunities and assets (for example, urban employment, urban house and shop ownership) to diversify income sources and thereby avoid the uncertainties of relying solely on marketable crop production for household security. As a backdrop to the whole discussion, an attempt is made to analyze the types of households which might be poor or, at least, susceptible to poverty.

Associational Life in African Cities

The book edited by Tostensen, Tvedten and Vaa comprises 17 chapters including a comprehensive introduction by the three editors. The main thrust of the book is to analyse the great range of voluntary associations which have emerged in urban Africa in response to the urban crisis. Many of the contributions also point to the general inability and incompetence of urban governments, both at the local and central levels, to address the urban problem. Case studies are drawn from locations in 15 countries, although the geographical emphasis is biased in favour of examples from the sub-Saharan region.

Poverty and wealth at the rural–urban interface: an actor-centred perspective from northern Tanzania

This paper describes the town of Mbulu, a district headquarters, and its interaction with its surrounds, especially with three villages selected for study. Despite Mbulu’s small size (around 6,400 inhabitants), it performs a number of vital central place functions, reinforced by decentralization reforms that are transferring more funding, authority and decision-making to district governments, and serves the varied needs of a large and dispersed rural population. Drawing on interviews with households from each of the three study villages, the paper describes people’s perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of their village life, and the close links they have with the town. The paper discusses the striking socioeconomic differences among households within Mbulu and the villages and, through case studies, emphasizes the diverse reasons for this, and the role of both rural and urban components in the accumulation of wealth and the avoidance of poverty. The paper also highlights the importance of the local cultural context to social norms and behaviour, and in particular to the involuntary out-migration of young village women to town.

Migration and mobility in a rapidly changing small town in northeastern Ethiopia

This paper presents empirical material collected in the zonal capital town of kemise (population around 34,000) and three surrounding rural areas (peasant associations) in northeastern ethiopia. The study area is located in the oromiya zone of the large amhara region. The paper attempts to show how rural areas and the town of kemise are economically interdependent and demonstrates the role of migration and mobility in influencing and shaping the rural and urban economies. The town fulfils, inter alia, important administrative, marketing, service and retailing functions. The most successful rural households appear to be those that use non-farm and off-farm opportunities and assets (for example, trade opportunities and/or urban employment) to diversify income sources and thereby avoid the uncertainties of relying solely on crop production for household security. As a backdrop to the whole discussion, the issue of widespread rural landlessness in the study area is investigated.

The migration experience in Africa

In this book different authors investigates the range of the migration experience in Africa. Because of the variety and complexity of the reasons which surround and underpin why African populations are so mobile, this volume adopts an eclectic approach which illustrates the diversity of theoretical positions, as well as methodological and analytical trends. Examples of the great breadth and richness of empirical insights into human migrations in the contemporary african context are also given.

The Rural-Urban Interface in Africa: Expansion and Adaptation

This book explores how some of the specific sectors, organisations and actors influence and shape the functioning of small towns in Africa. A number of the contributors of the volume point to the r ...

Small Town Africa: Studies in Rural-Urban Interaction

Small towns have often been considered as unimportant and have been largely ignored by policy-makers and researchers. Instead, attention was focussed on the large city or on rural development and a ...